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2016/02/28 |
Pete Weber, Terrell Owens Team Up to Win CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational Presented by GoBowling.com
In an evening of fun, glitz, bowling, great athletes from other sports and entertainers pairing up with the PBA’s best for competition, Los Angeles Clippers All-Star guard Chris Paul has made a tradition out of raising awareness for a great cause through his CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by GoBowling.com that aired Sunday on ESPN. In a “battle of the sexes” championship match contested at Lucky Strike LA Live, the team of PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber and former NFL All-Pro receiver Terrell Owens defeated international bowling star Clara Guerrero and Olympic and World Cup women’s soccer gold medalist Hope Solo, 78-54, in a special four-frame doubles format championship match. On their way to the championship match of the event, now in its seventh year, Weber and Owens beat two other pro/celebrity teams. In the quarterfinal round, they defeated seven-time Tour winner Bill O’Neill and Shawn Stockman of the group BoyZ II Men, 68-48, and 2015 Rolltech PBA World Championship winner Gary Faulkner Jr. and former Major League All-Star pitcher and PBA50 Tour competitor John Burkett, 64-52, in the semifinal round. “It was probably a matter of time,” said Owens, who was making his third CP3 Invitational appearance. “I had bowled well in past events but it was a combination of being more consistent and having a great partner. “As the matches went on, the better I bowled and the better Pete and I were coming together as a team. It’s like any sport where you get more focused you get better results. I really felt I had all the pieces of the puzzle in place,” Owens continued. “I had the right ball and it left my hand clean, so it was up to me to do my part for the team.” For Weber, who ranks fourth on the list of all-time PBA Tour title winners with 37 titles, it was his second CP3 Invitational win. In a 2012 trios contest, he won with actor Jerry Ferrara and Paul’s L.A. Clippers teammate, forward Blake Griffin. “The ‘bad boys’ did good,” said Weber, using a play on words related to his documentary, “The Bad Boy of Bowling,” which premiered on ESPN’s 30 for 30 series on Friday. “Terrell and I thought the ladies (Solo and Guerrero) would give us a tough match because they were bowling well and we were looking forward to that challenge. Hope was keeping the ball in play and Clara was throwing strikes like she usually does so we were going to have our work cut out for us. “I was bowling a little conservative,” Weber added. “I was throwing it harder and straighter to stay out of trouble. The last thing you want to do is leave a split or tough spare because you don’t have any time to recover from it.” Guerrero and Solo eliminated Paul and three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte, 74-58, in their quarterfinal match before defeating nine-time PBA Tour winner Sean Rash and his partner, Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, 78-67, in a close contest. Tied in the ninth frame with 49 each, Guerrero doubled in the 10th to clinch her team’s trip to the championship match. In the other quarterfinal matches, Burkett and Faulkner eliminated 18-time Tour winner Chris Barnes and former NFL defensive end and ESPN SportsNation co-host Marcellus Wiley, 99-49, while Rash and Anderson ousted defending CP3 Invitational champion and three-time Tour winner Ronnie Russell and multiple Olympic and World Championship track gold medalist Allyson Felix, 80-64. The event also included a celebrity sudden-death best ball “clash” which included additional celebrity guests Anthony Anderson, star of ABC-TV’s “Black-ish”, and hip hop artist Too Short. Burkett, who had a best PBA50 Tour finish of fourth place in his 2015 rookie season, outlasted the other celebrities by bowling a nine-count to Owens’ seven-count in the ninth and final frame for the win. The beneficiary of the CP3 event was the Chris Paul Family Foundation which strives to positively impact individuals and families by providing resources that enrich and strengthen healthy development of strong communities. Through partnerships with Feed The Children, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Clubs, LA's BEST, The Reachability Foundation and Habitat for Humanity, the foundation supports literacy and technology initiatives, health and wellness programs and afterschool enrichment. |
2016/02/21 |
Dom Barrett, Danielle McEwan Win World Bowling Tour Finals Championships
After traversing the globe competing against the top bowlers in the world over a span of two years, England’s Dom Barrett and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., emerged as the winners of the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals at Woodland Bowl. The finals, presented by the Professional Bowlers Association, aired Sunday on ESPN. Using an experimental World Bowling scoring system, Barrett, a four-time PBA Tour champion and top qualifier for the three-man finals, rolled a one-of-a-kind perfect game in defeating five-time PBA Tour winner Mike Fagan of Berkley, Calif., 300-256, to win his first WBT Finals championship. The unique WBT scoring system retained the traditional 10-frame scoring format, but awarded 30 pins for a strike, 10 pins for a spare plus the pinfall of the first shot in the frame, and actual pinfall for an open frame. For a spare, for example, if the player knocked down eight pins on his/her first ball and then converted the spare, he/she earned 18 pins for the frame. If a player left a split or missed a spare and got only nine pins for both shots in the frame, his/her score for that frame was nine. The maximum score under the World Bowling system is still 300 – based on 10 consecutive strikes - and there is no extra shot or bonus pins in the 10th frame. Various versions of bowling’s traditional scoring system have been tested by World Bowling, the international governing body for tenpin bowling in the eyes of the International Olympic Committee, in an effort to create a scoring system that will be more easily understood by those who aren’t familiar with the traditional bowling system. An experimental “best frame” system – similar to the system golf uses in Ryder Cup competition – was showcased in last year’s WBT Finals held in Las Vegas. For bowling the first-ever perfect game under the experimental format, the PBA awarded Barrett its traditional $10,000 bonus for the 300 game. “That was pretty cool,” Barrett said, referring both to his unique 300 game and his victory. “It was a long two years getting to that point. The scoring format was irrelevant to me. I just had to throw strikes to get the best score I could. I just trusted if I bowled the best game I could, I’d win.” Barrett said he liked the idea behind the new scoring system. “I think the idea behind it is great, trying to get us into the Olympics,” he said. “If it helps get (bowling) more onto the international stage, the more people who understand it, the better. The reasons behind (the modified scoring system) are all very good reasons.” In the women’s final, McEwan won her first WBT Finals championship by defeating 2014 WBT Finals winner and 2016 top qualifier Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., 256-243, throwing six strikes worth 30 pins each and four nine-count spares, each worth 19 pins. McEwan was able hold off Kulick who had one less strike, four nine-count spares and, the difference-maker, a seven-count spare. “It’s a long process to get here and that’s what makes the win all that much better, looking back on what I had to do to get there,” said McEwan, who also spoke in favor of the scoring system. “I liked it; it almost made me not pay attention to the score,” she said. “I didn’t watch my opponent as much because throwing a string of strikes didn’t matter. I just had to focus on each shot I made. “I’m curious to see how people react to it, like my dad, who isn’t a bowler. I want to see if it’s easier for him to understand.” In the men’s semifinal match Fagan defeated three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte, 265-256. Both players threw seven strikes in the match, but after Belmonte left the 4-10 split in his 10th frame and failed to convert, Fagan threw his seventh strike for the win. In the women’s semifinal, McEwan, the No. 2 qualifier, defeated No. 3 Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 256-233, out-striking Johnson 6-4 for the difference. The players earned their berths in the finals as the top point-earners in PBA International-World Bowling Tour events over a two-year rolling WBT points competition.
Graham Fach Wins PBA Barbasol PBA Players Championship to Become First Canadian PBA Title Winner
Graham Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander from Guelph, Ontario, became the first Canadian ever to win a Professional Bowlers Association Tour title Sunday when he defeated top qualifier Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 279-244, to win the Barbasol Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. Fach, bowling in only his second PBA Tour event, was nearly perfect in winning the $40,000 first prize, a PBA major championship and a Barbasol shaving cream pie. His only flaw was leaving a 10 pin, which he converted, in the seventh frame while Ciminelli was almost as good, leaving and converting four single-pin spares. “It’s a great feeling to win against players of this caliber,” Fach (pronounced “faw”) said. “They want to win, but obviously I want to win, too. I wasn’t sure I would be able to compete out here, but the only way to find out is come out and try. Now at least the PBA staff knows who I am.” Fach, who earned his shot at the title when he escaped with a 247-244 win over Australia’s Sam Cooley in the semifinal round, said the support he’s gotten from Canadian fans as well as friends and teammates from nearby Urbana (Ohio) University, where he completed his collegiate bowling career in 2015, has been “incredible.” As happy as Fach was, Ciminelli was equally distraught. “One of these days someone is going to shoot 210 against me on TV and give me a chance,” he said. “It’s frustrating but there’s not much more I could do about it.” In the first game of the finals, 21-year-old Swedish two-hander Jesper Svensson struck on 10 of his first 11 shots, and converted a pivotal 4-7-10 split in the fifth frame to end PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke’s bid to win a fifth different major championship, 274-258. Duke, who had previously won the PBA World Championship, PBA Tournament of Champions, USBC Masters and U.S. Open, had hopes of joining Mike Aulby as the second player to win the PBA “Super Slam.” “I fought hard,” the 51-year-old Duke said. “I never created an advantage in this tournament that stuck out. I was the one hanging around all week, but I put together a game I was really proud of and sometimes it just isn’t enough. The hardest part is I have to wait another year for the opportunity.” Cooley, in his PBA television debut, eliminated Svensson in the second match, 246-206. The PBA Tour will take a break during “March Madness,” returning to competition with the PBA League Elias Cup competition and the Xtra Frame Maine Shootout in early April at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine. |
2016/02/19 |
Ryan Ciminelli Rolls 300 in Position Round, Claims Top Rung in Sunday’s Barbasol PBA Players Championship Stepladder Finals
Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., advanced from third to take the lead earlier Friday and fired a 300 in his final game to lock up the top berth in Sunday’s finals of the Barbasol Professional Bowlers Association Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. Ciminelli, a 29-year-old left-hander and the PBA Tour’s only three-time title winner in 2015 – including the U.S. Open – has won 16 of his 24 matches and tied another, averaging 240.69 to claim the top rung in the stepladder finals by 70 pins over Canadian Graham Fach, who is making his first television final in only his second PBA Tour appearance. Fach, 24, finished with a 14-10 match play record and 11,978 pins in his bid to become the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title. Australia’s Sam Cooley, also qualifying for his first TV final in third place, struggled early in the final round, but turned his fate around with a 300 game to finish with 11,832 pins, 70 ahead of Sweden’s two-hander Jesper Svensson. Svensson, who turned 21 on Monday, became the youngest player to win the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions two weeks ago in Shawnee, Okla. It might not have been the prettiest round among the finalists, but PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., battled his way into the telecast with three exciting victories in his final three matches, slipping past Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y., by 12 pins and DJ Archer of Friendswood, Texas – his position round opponent – by 36 pins. Duke, who needs to win the Players Championship to join Mike Aulby as only the second player to complete the “Super Slam” of major championships, said, “That’s the hardest telecast I’ve made in recent memory. With three games to go I was 100 pins back and it seemed like I could do nothing but leave 10 pins. I just told myself, hang in there. I just willed myself to bowl three good games. “This is the fifth major,” the 51-year-old Hall of Famer added. “Don’t think I don’t know it. I just know how hard it is to win out here. I want to win one. I just want to win. I don’t think my story is over yet.” Ciminelli, as tournament leader, will meet the survivor of three stepladder matches for the title. After finishing second in 2015 PBA Player of the Year balloting to Australia’s Jason Belmonte, Ciminelli said he had a premonition about his final match. “I had a feeling I was going to bowl 300 because I figured Fach was going to bowl 279 or 280, and I’d need the pins,” Ciminelli said. He doesn’t generally have that kind of confidence. “Eight months ago, I was looking for a new job in my career training, construction engineering,” Ciminelli said, “but it was like I got a message from God – no, not yet. This is what you’re meant to do. “As bummed out as I was (about losing in Player of the Year voting last year), and as confident as I look, I fight demons constantly,” he continued. “I keep telling myself I’m not that good. It’s hard for me to keep believing in myself. I’m such a believer in you’re only as good as your last performance, so if I have a bad performance, I tell myself I stink. I just try to make a show. Every tournament is a battle to try to make a show. “I’m averaging 240 in this tournament and asking myself, am I good enough to keep doing this? No matter what, I continue to question my ability – but I think that’s what makes me keep wanting to prove myself.” Ciminelli will get a chance to prove himself during the live Barbasol PBA Players Championship ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Immediately following the Players Championship, ESPN will air the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA. |
2016/02/18 |
Canada’s Fach Leads Field into Friday’s Barbasol PBA Players Championship Final Match Play Rounds
Little-known Canadian Graham Fach, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association tournament, led the field of 24 finalists into Friday’s final two rounds of match play in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander who starred at Urbana (Ohio) University a year ago, lost his first three matches in Thursday night’s opening round of match play and momentarily dropped out of the lead. But he rebounded with four wins in his next five matches, rolling games of 269, 267, 245, 278 and 266 to regain first place by 49 pins over Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y. Fach had 7,960 pins, Pepe 7,761. Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., was third with 7,895 pins followed by Australia’s Sam Cooley with 7,863 pins. EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., was fifth, 21 pins behind Cooley. Among the players who are continuing to chase history are three PBA Hall of Famers: Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., who would become the second player in PBA history to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of major titles with a win in the Players Championship, Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., who is trying to win back-to-back Players Championships, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., who would improve upon his PBA-record 47 career titles with a win. Duke was in seventh place, Bohn in 10th and Williams 21st heading into Friday’s final two eight-game rounds of match play. Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who was trying for a PBA-record 11th major title, withdrew at the end of the third round due to a chronic hip injury. Weber was in ninth place at the time, only 78 pins out of fifth place. But Fach (pronounced “faw”) remains the story with his consistent performance and unflappable attitude. “I don’t want to look (at who’s behind me); I just want to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “There were fewer people today, so I had to deal with more transitions. I didn’t score as well today as I did in my first two rounds, but I’m learning to deal with (how the lane conditions change). “I’m feeling real good; I’m trying not to think about games ahead,” he added. “Every time I think about TV, I kick myself and tell myself to focus. There are still 16 games with bonus pins to go.” For now, Fach is happy to be finally realizing a lifelong dream. “I’ve wanted to bowl our here ever since I was a kid,” he said. “I told myself I’d go pro at some point, but every time I thought about it, I found a reason not to. I finally decided to dive in. “I’m getting lots of support – back home in Canada, at school, the Urbana high school bowling team. Not just bowlers, but people I’ve known throughout my life. It’s great,” he said. The Barbasol PBA Players Championship continues Friday with the final two eight-game match play rounds at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
Canada’s Graham Fach Gives Ground, But Leads Field into Barbasol PBA Players Championship Match Play
Little-known Canadian Graham Fach lost a little ground, but he retained the lead Thursday afternoon and led the field of 24 Professional Bowlers Association finalists into Thursday night’s opening round of match play in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. The 24-year-old left-hander, bowling in only his second PBA Tour event, fired games of 246, 206, 268, 248, 216, 257, 205 and 223 in Thursday’s cashers round for a 24-game total of 5,843 pins and a 45-pin lead over Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y. Australia’s Sam Cooley was third with 5,767 pins followed by Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y., at 5,761 and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., at 5,715. Also among the players advancing to match play are PBA Hall of Famers Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., who would become the second player in PBA history to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of major titles with a win in the Players Championship, defending PBA Players Championship winner Parker Bohn III, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., who could improve upon his 47 career titles, already the PBA record. Duke was in 13th place, Bohn 16th and Williams 20th heading into match play. Unfortunately, Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who was trying for a PBA-record 11th major title; withdrew prior to the start of match play because of his recurring hip injury. Weber was in ninth place, 78 pins out of fifth, when he withdrew and was replaced by alternate Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich. But Fach (pronounced “faw”) remains the story with his consistent performance and unflappable attitude. “I don’t want to look (at who’s behind me); I just want to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “There were fewer people today, so I had to deal with more transitions. I didn’t score as well as I did in my other blocks, but I’m learning to deal with (how the lane conditions change). “I’m feeling real good; I’m trying not to think about games ahead,” he added. “Every time I think about TV, I kick myself and tell myself to focus. It’s only 24 games, and there’s another 24 with bonus pins, so we’re not even halfway through.” For now, Fach is happy to be finally realizing a lifelong dream. “I’ve wanted to bowl our here ever since I was a kid,” he said. “I told myself I’d go pro at some point, but every time I thought about it, I found a reason not to. I finally decided to dive in. “I’m getting lots of support – back home in Canada, at school. Not just bowlers, but people I’ve known throughout my life. It’s great,” he said. The PBA Players Championship continues with three eight-game round-robin match play sessions at 5 p.m. ET Thursday, and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. |
2016/02/17 |
Canadian Rookie Graham Fach Takes Second Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship
Graham Fach, a 24-year-old left-hander from Gulph, Ontario, bowling in his second Professional Bowlers Association Tour event, averaged 248.38 to charge into the second round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl Wednesday. Fach (pronounced “faw”) fired games of 276, 227, 195, 289, 235, 256, 245 and 247 during Wednesday’s second round to finish with 3,974 pins, overtaking first-round leader Sam Cooley of Australia by 56 pins. Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y., advanced from 12th to third place among the 36 players who advanced to Thursday’s cashers round with 3,887 pins. He was followed by PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., with 3,848 pins and 2016 FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions winner Jesper Svensson of Sweden in fifth with a 3,830 total. Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., who is pursuing a fifth different PBA major title, remained in contention in 17th place heading into the cashers round. Fach, who finished 171st in the field of 417 players in his PBA debut in last week’s United States Bowling Congress Masters, entered the day in second place, 47 pins behind Cooley. “After the Masters, I was a little upset; I thought I bowled well and didn’t get a check,” Fach said. “Today I felt pretty comfortable the whole day. I’m just trying to stay on the high from day one.” Fach, a member of Canada’s national bowling team, said, “I’ve bowled some pretty big amateur tournaments that were kinda similar in format, but this is the first time bowling with this caliber of players, this much talent. It makes you want to strike a lot more because you know they’re going to. “The biggest part for me is, no matter what pair you look at, there’s a big name professional. When you start anything as a rookie, you want to make a good impression. Fortunately, my impression here was better than the Masters, where I was barely in the top half of the field. I got comfortable with my ball motion here, and it let me play to my strength. “Today just means I’ve proven to myself I can compete with the guys I grew up watching. My goals are to make some money, make the cut to match play, make the show and win a title. I think I’ve met two of them so far.” The 2015 graduate of Ohio’s Urbana University, where he got his degree in sports management, said he’s well aware no Canadian has ever won a PBA Tour title. “Yup, I’m aware. Every time Dan MacLelland makes a TV show, the point is made,” Fach said of MacLelland, a Windsor, Ontario native and former Saginaw Valley State All-American who has made nine PBA television shows without winning a title – including a runner-up finish in last week’s Masters. “The fact that he hasn’t won yet indicates how tough this Tour is.” The PBA Players Championship continues with an eight-game qualifying round for A Squad Wednesday night. After 16 games, the top 36 players will advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday to determine the 24 players who will advance to round-robin match play beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday. The final two match play rounds begin at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. 43位 川添奨太 |
2016/02/16 |
Australia’s Sam Cooley Takes First Round Lead in Barbasol PBA Players Championship over HOF Trio
Sam Cooley, a 25-year-old Australian who made his Professional Bowlers Association debut in the PBA Fall Classic in Las Vegas in October, out-scored a little-known Canadian, a ranking international star and a trio of PBA Hall of Famers to take the first round lead in the Barbasol PBA Players Championship Tuesday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl. Cooley, who has yet to qualify for a PBA stepladder finals, averaged 256.38 Tuesday behind games of 257, 300, 279, 209, 236, 266, 226 and 278 for an eight-game total of 2,051 pins to take a 47-pin lead over 35-time titlist Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J. and Canadian Graham Fach, who shared second place with 2,004 pins. England’s Dom Barrett, a four-time PBA Tour winner including the 2012 PBA World Championship, was fourth with 1,999 pins, just ahead of 37-time PBA Tour champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. (1,983 pins); and 38-time winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. (1,953 pins). Cooley, a member of Australia’s national team, admitted he has been a little star-struck bowling with and against the PBA greats in his limited career, but “now I’m watching these guys a little, and it’s a matter of ‘wow, Pete’s bowling a good game…and now it’s my turn to bowl.’ I’m not dwelling on it. “It’s good to be ahead of them, but tomorrow’s a new day. In my previous tournaments I’ve had really good starts and I tend to get carried away with things. I’m learning that each day is its own tournament. You have to take each day on its own. You can start good, catch a bad pair of lanes and it plays on my mind. I have to learn to focus on not worrying about scores, but making good shots all of the time.” Among the early leaders, Weber is the only player who has previously won the PBA Players Championship (1992). With the tournament returning to major championship status this year, Weber, 53, has a chance to win an 11th career major and break his tie with Earl Anthony for the all-time PBA record. Duke, 51, has a chance to add the only title he needs to complete the so-called “Super Slam” of PBA major titles. He has already won the U.S. Open, PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship and United States Bowling Congress Masters. A fifth different major in the PBA Players Championship would match a feat only fellow hall of famer Mike Aulby has accomplished. But Weber, who hobbled into the bowling center after an acupuncture treatment for a lingering hip injury, and Duke, who has been battling a chronic pinched nerve issue in his neck, need to stay healthy. “I trained really well coming into this swing (of three consecutive major championships),” Duke said. “I was strong, I was ready, but I tweaked my neck a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been trying to get myself healthy to make good shots. I figure if I can keep my health together, I like my chances. I still feel like I’m very good, but I have to stay healthy.” The PBA Players Championship continues with second eight-game qualifying round for all players Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. The top 36 players after 16 games will then advance to an eight-game cashers round at 10 a.m. Thursday. Based on 24-game pinfall totals, the top 24 players will advance to eight-game round-robin match play rounds at 5 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday. All preliminary rounds will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. After 48 games, the top five players will compete for the $40,000 first prize live on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Immediately following Sunday’s live Barbasol PBA Players Championship finals at 3 p.m. ET, ESPN will air the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. The WBT finals will feature three men (England’s Dom Barrett, Australia’s Jason Belmonte and Mike Fagan of Berkley, Calif.) and three women (Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J.; Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y.) in stepladder finals which will be contested using an experimental World Bowling scoring system. 43位 川添奨太 |
2016/02/15 |
【JPBA】 News JPBAスポンサー感謝の集いにてランキング表彰が行われました
本日、品川プリンスホテルにて、2016スポンサー感謝の集いが催されました。 昨年度いただいた様々なスポンサードに対して感謝の意を表するとともに、今年度もプロボウリングへご支援を賜るようお願い申し上げました。 また式中では昨年の男女ランキング王への表彰も行われ、7年ぶりの三冠女王に輝いた姫路 麗、ポイントランキング王の藤井信人が出席。記念の盾が贈られました。 |
2016/02/14 |
【USBC】 USBC Masters 【Finals】 Simonsen makes history with win at 2016 USBC Masters
Nineteen-year-old Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas, won the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters on Sunday to become the youngest player to win a major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Simonsen struck on eight of his first nine shots in the championship match at Woodland Bowl to secure a 245-207 victory against Dan MacLelland of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. MacLelland was looking to become the first amateur since 2002 to win the USBC Masters. The victory earned Simonsen $50,000 and the coveted Masters trophy, while MacLelland took home $25,000 as the runner-up. Simonsen was the first top seed to win the event since 2013, when Australia's Jason Belmonte claimed the first of a record three consecutive Masters titles. Simonsen at 19 years and 39 days old, surpasses USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby of nearby Carmel, Indiana, as the youngest major champion. Aulby was 19 years and 83 days old when he won the PBA National Championship in 1979 for the first of eight major titles. "It's definitely a dream come true," said Simonsen, who won his first title earlier this year when he teamed with Connor Pickford to win the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman Doubles Championship and just miss becoming the youngest player to win a PBA Tour title. "And, it's awesome to break a record. Mike Aulby was a great player. Missing the youngest to be a title-holder by two days was a little disappointing, but to come out and get the job done today, I guess I'll take that as evening itself out." The decision to pursue a career on the lanes was one Simonsen didn't take lightly, but he quickly was able to prove himself with two PBA regional victories on the way to PBA Southwest Region Rookie of the Year honors for the 2014 season. Equal success at the national level has been just as quick, but Simonsen still is focused and humble. "I made the decision at a young age to come on out, and it was about getting out here and getting experience, which really is starting to pay off," Simonsen said. "This is my first full year out on Tour, and I bowled a majority of the major events that were possible. To have success is awesome, but a title doesn't define you. You have to keep coming out and trying to perform week in and week out, and see where it takes you." For MacLelland, this week at the Masters was a vacation away from his full-time job as a bowling center general manager and a chance to catch up with all the people he no longer gets to see since leaving the PBA Tour. "It was great to be here and see everyone again, and I really love bowling in the Masters," MacLelland said. "This is one event I always try to bowl in, and it was a fun week. It's a little disappointing, but I'm not upset. Things just didn't go my way. Anthony bowled great all week." On the way to the championship match, MacLelland was able to hold off 2013 Masters runner-up Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, for a 216-213 victory. Against Malott, MacLelland started his first TV appearance since 2014 with an open frame, but strikes in the next four frames gave him a nine-pin advantage halfway through the match. He had a chance to shut out Malott with a double and eight pins in the 10th frame, but he left a 2-7 split after striking on his first shot. Following his first miscue of the day in the ninth frame, a 2-8-10 split, Malott needed a double and four pins in his final frame to slip past MacLelland. He struck on his first shot, but a 6-10 combination on his next offering ended his run at the 2016 event. A No. 4 seed never has won the Masters. In his first two matches of the day, Malott struck on 20 of 24 attempts to defeat Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, 258-189, and Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, 258-201. Loschetter finished fourth and earned $10,000, while Daugherty, who finished third at last week's FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions, earned $8,000 for his fifth-place effort Sunday at the Masters. Belmonte was among the final eight bowlers from this year's 417-player field, but losses Saturday to Malott and Sweden's Martin Larsen ended Belmonte's bid for a fourth Masters crown. The 2016 Masters featured a total prize fund of $295,000. All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Belmonte in the double-elimination match-play bracket. |
2016/02/13 |
Simonsen earns top seed for 2016 USBC Masters finals
Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas, earned the top seed for the stepladder finals at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters and put himself in position to become the youngest bowler in history to win a major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. Simonsen, who rolled through the winners bracket with a 6-0 record, used a perfectly-timed ball change Saturday to turn a 28-pin opening-game deficit into a 683-636 win over Canada's Dan MacLelland, who will enter the finals as the No. 2 seed. MacLelland is seeking to become the first amateur since 2002 to win the USBC Masters. The 2016 event features a total prize fund of $295,000, with $50,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern. With three-time defending champion Jason Belmonte of Australia just missing the championship round at Woodland Bowl this week, there will be a new winner for the first time since 2012, and Simonsen is poised to assume that role. "I'm at a loss for words right now," said Simonsen, who won his first PBA Tour title earlier this season and missed becoming the Tour's youngest overall champion by just two days. "Making my first show at a major as the No. 1 seed is amazing, and it's nice to only have to win one game for the title." Joining Simonsen and MacLelland on the show will be Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, 2013 Masters runner-up Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, who survived the four-player final elimination match that determined the last three seeds. Loschetter won the shootout with a 720 series and will be No. 3 for the show. Malott was second with 687 and will be the fourth seed, and Daugherty shot 679 to earn the fifth spot. Martin Larsen of Sweden posted a 616 series and was eliminated. Youth has been a common theme at the Masters in recent years, with 21-year-old EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana, and 22-year-old AJ Johnson of Oswego, Illinois, who were the top seeds in 2014 and 2015, respectively, but struggled against Belmonte in their title matches. At 19 years and 39 days old, Simonsen would surpass the previous record of 19 years and 83 days set by USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby of nearby Carmel, Indiana, when he claimed the PBA National Championship in 1979 for the first of eight major titles. But, even as a young player relatively new to the national spotlight, Simonsen is mature enough to know he'll need to clear his mind and focus on the things he did this week in wins against Johnson, Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, Jesse Buss of Belvidere, Illinois, Tackett and Malott. "It definitely would be an honor to win and have a special place in history, but I will do my best not to think about it," Simonsen said. "It will be the same as always for me tomorrow, it just happens that it will be on live TV. I'll go out and throw the 10 best shots I can and hope for the best." MacLelland also is hoping for the best but has a new outlook on the lanes. He recently gave up his professional status to focus on his family and career as a bowling center general manager, so his designation as an amateur could make him the seventh in history, and first since Brett Wolfe in 2002, to win the event. "For me, this still really is a vacation from work, and I'm having a lot of fun," MacLelland said. "I've strived to be a champion out here for as long as I've been bowling, and to win would mean so much. If I don't, I still get to go home with my wife and daughter, and that's everything to me." Belmonte, the first bowler in history to win the Masters three consecutive times, was among the final eight bowlers from this year's 417-player field, but losses Saturday to Malott and Larsen, ended Belmonte's run. All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Belmonte in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
桑藤美樹 ＆ 富田 明 選手チーム優勝！
先日、1月23日（土）・24日（日）に開催された承認大会・2016新春初夢プロアマミックスダブルストーナメントを、桑藤美樹＆富田 明 選手チームが制しました。 2日間に分けて予選8G（チーム16G）が行われ、上位30チームが決勝へ進出。さらに4G（チーム8G）を投球し、予選・決勝あわせて24Gのトータルピンで競われました。 |
2016/02/12 |
Belmonte among undefeated players at 2016 USBC Masters
Jason Belmonte again proved why he's considered the best bowler in the world by battling back from a 38-pin deficit to remain undefeated at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters. The three-time defending champion struck on five of his last six shots, including a clutch double in the 10th frame, to defeat Kristopher Prather of Milton, Florida, 669-666, and now is two wins away from locking up a spot in the USBC Masters stepladder finals for the fourth consecutive year. The 2016 Masters features a total prize fund of $295,000 and is a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, with $50,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner. Belmonte, who made history last year by becoming the first bowler to win the Masters three consecutive times, is 3-0 this year and one of eight bowlers remaining in the winners bracket at Woodland Bowl. A fill-ball epiphany after his second game against Prather pointed Belmonte in the right direction, and his fate then came down to execution. "When I threw the fill ball and saw the way it hooked off the spot, I knew there was a big game out there, but I'd have to execute and get the pins to fall my way," said Belmonte, who defeated Missy Parkin and Aaron Lorincz earlier Friday. "When you're down 38, you don't have a lot of room for error. I don't know Kris too well, but I can see he's a shotmaker. You never want to give your opponent a chance, so getting the double in the 10th was huge. It also was a big confidence boost." Belmonte will be back on the lanes Saturday at 9 a.m. Eastern to take on 10-time PBA Tour champion Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, in a rematch of the 2013 Masters title tilt. The Australian two-hander won that match 258-245 to claim his first Masters victory. Other winners bracket matches scheduled for Friday morning include 2014 Masters runner-up EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana, against 19-year-old recent PBA Tour champion Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas; Team USA member Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, against Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, and Canada's Dan MacLelland against Tim Foy Jr. of Seaford, Delaware. Eight bowlers still remain in the elimination bracket, and they, too, will be back on the lanes at Woodland Bowl on Saturday at 9 a.m. Eastern. The list of competitors in the elimination bracket includes, two-time Masters champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, Josh Blanchard of Mesa, Arizona, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, New York, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, Houston's Shawn Maldonado, Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio, Sweden's Martin Larsen and Prather. All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Belmonte in the double-elimination match-play bracket. All rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com. |
2016/02/11 |
【USBC】 USBC Masters 【Round 3】 Belmonte back on top at 2016 USBC Masters
Three-time defending champion Jason Belmonte knew he was guaranteed a spot in the double-elimination bracket at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters, but he made sure to remain focused and aggressive throughout qualifying this week at Woodland Bowl. His game plan was strategic and familiar, and he got progressively better during each round of qualifying, eventually posting the highest five-game set of the week to catapult himself to the top of the standings with a 15-game total of 3,483, a 232.2 average. The 2016 USBC Masters features a total prize fund of $295,000 and is a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The stepladder finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, with $50,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner. Canada's Dan MacLelland finished qualifying in second place with a 3,425 total and was followed by Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida (3,391), Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Michigan (3,347) and 19-year-old recent PBA Tour champion Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas (3,341). All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who will join Belmonte in the double-elimination match-play bracket. Missy Parkin of Laguna Hills, California, the 2011 USBC Queens champion, earned the final spot in match play with a 3,120 total, a 208 average, and she will take on Belmonte in the opening round Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern. Belmonte's 1,256 block Thursday included one of the week's 11 perfect games and helped the three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year outdistance the 417-player field. "I think the burn squad typically favors the guys who are able to get farther left, and it's no secret that's my A game, so it was nice to be able to take advantage of that today," said Belmonte, who also earned the No. 1 seed for his first title defense in 2014. "But, what I really wanted for today was to be focused and execute well, especially early in the games. That will be very important in match play." Since 2013, Belmonte has bowled more than two dozen matches at the Masters, and he knows that given the level of talent it takes to make the top 64, seeding almost is irrelevant. His opponent could be a hall of famer or an up-and-comer, and what's important is having a strategy for each match and each pair of lanes. Being able to bowl qualifying at Woodland Bowl this week allowed Belmonte to get a feel for the center and the 39-foot oil pattern as well as figure out which equipment would go through the pins the right way for him. "I wanted to make the most of the 15 games and not take the opportunity for granted," said Belmonte, who has 12 PBA Tour titles, including five majors. "I had a chance to try some different balls, but I also wanted to get into a good place mentally. If I can get into the right mind frame and keep that competitive vibe, I think I'm a tough opponent to beat." The last person to defeat Belmonte at the Masters was AJ Johnson of Oswego, Illinois, in the match to determine the top seed for TV at the 2015 event in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but the Australian two-hander got redemption with a 202-157 win in the championship match. The victory made Belmonte the first bowler in history to claim three consecutive Masters titles, and he joined USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby as the event's only three-time winners. In 2014, Belmonte became the first bowler since 1965 to successfully defend his Masters crown. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com. 145位 山本 勲, 155位 川添奨太 |
2016/02/10 |
【USBC】 USBC Masters 【Round 2】 Ogle maintains lead at 2016 USBC Masters
While nobody likes to make mistakes, Matt Ogle of Louisville, Kentucky, had room for a few after the blistering start he had at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters. But, instead of letting a couple of miscues at Woodland Bowling on Wednesday slow his momentum, he used them as opportunities to gather information about the challenging 39-foot oil pattern and the nuances of the 70-lane bowling center, all while maintaining his lead on the 417-player field. The 31-year-old right-hander tops the 2016 USBC Masters standings after two days of qualifying with a 10-game total of 2,341, a 234.1 average. EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana, the runner-up at the Masters in 2014, is 27 pins behind with a 2,314 total and is followed by 2011 Masters champion Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa (2,298), Josh Blanchard of Mesa, Arizona (2,272) and Kristopher Prather of Milton, Florida (2,267). Wednesday's round was Ogle's first chance to see the fresh oil pattern, which he'll also face in the final round of qualifying Thursday. A 159 effort in his third game Wednesday definitely will help his strategy moving forward. His other games in Round 2 were 213, 259, 278 and 181 for a 1,090 total. "I had a pretty good look in practice and felt good going into the fresh today, but I got caught in the transition, which I'll be looking for around Game 3 tomorrow," said Ogle, who rolled two of the week's six perfect games during Tuesday's first round. "I made a big move at the start of the fourth game, and that will be in the back of my mind tomorrow." All competitors will return to the lanes at Woodland Bowl for five additional games Thursday, beginning at 8 a.m. Eastern. At the completion of 15 qualifying games, the top 63 bowlers will join three-time defending champion Jason Belmonte of Australia, in the double-elimination match-play bracket. Match play will take place Friday and Saturday and determine the five players for the championship round. Those five bowlers will compete in Sunday's stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern. As the defending champion, Belmonte is guaranteed the No. 64 spot in the bracket, but bowling qualifying will give him a chance to improve his seeding as well as get a feel for the bowling center and oil pattern. He is ninth after the two days of qualifying with a 2,227 total. With only five games standing between Ogle and match play, he is confident, but focused. "I still feel like this is all a dream," Ogle said. "It was amazing to be the leader after the first day, and it feels great to be able to maintain it after my squad today. I know I still have to throw good shots tomorrow, but this really will help loosen up my armswing for my last block. The 2016 Masters features a total prize fund of $295,000 and is a major event on the PBA Tour. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com. 115位 山本 勲, 133位 川添奨太 |
2016/02/09 |
【USBC】 USBC Masters 【Round 1】 Matt Ogle leads after first day of 2016 USBC Masters
Matt Ogle of Louisville, Kentucky, has enjoyed past success on the national stage, but he was able to experience a whole new level of nervousness Tuesday on the way to the top of the standings at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters. The 31-year-old right-hander saw a personal dream come true when he rolled the first perfect game of this week's event at Woodland Bowl, and he matched the feat two games later to surge into the lead with a five-game total of 1,251, a 250.2 average. Ogle was able to hold off Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio, who started the day with a 299 game and closed with 278 for a 1,227 total. Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, is third with 1,191 and is followed by Canada's Dan MacLelland (1,188) and John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, New York (1,174). While Ogle was wrapping up his second perfect game, George Gohagan III of Dayton, Ohio, was at the other end of the 70-lane bowling center putting the final touches on his own 300. The left-hander finished the opening round of qualifying with a 1,120 total, which is 15th overall. "This is something I've always dreamed about doing, and to do it twice in a block is amazing," said Ogle, who had games of 196, 225, 300, 230 and 300 on Tuesday. "I was shaking pretty badly, I probably couldn't have written my name in English after the first one. This definitely is the most nervous I've been as far as 300s go, but I think it's going to help me relax a little the next two days." Ogle will lead the 417-player field back onto the lanes at Woodland Bowl on Wednesday for the second of three five-game qualifying blocks. Competition will get underway at 8 a.m. "To be the leader, especially with all of the top professional bowlers here this week, is a great feeling and something I never thought would happen," said Ogle, who won the Kentucky Open in 2015 and was the Open Singles champion at the 2014 Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC. "I'm just fortunate to be able to be here bowling this week, and I'm very happy with how I started. My plan now is to pick the right ball, make good shots and stay clean." All players will bowl 15 games over three days to determine the match-play field. The top 63 bowlers will join three-time defending champion Jason Belmonte of Australia in the three-game, double-elimination bracket. As the defending champion, Belmonte is guaranteed the No. 64 spot in the bracket, but bowling qualifying will give him a chance to improve his seeding as well as get a feel for the bowling center and oil pattern. He is tied for 30th place after the first day of qualifying with a 1,088 total. Match play will take place Friday and Saturday and will determine the five players for the championship round. Those five bowlers will compete in Sunday's stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern. The 2016 Masters features a total prize fund of $295,000 and is a major event on the PBA Tour. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com. 65位 川添奨太, 187位 山本 勲 |
2016/02/07 |
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson Becomes Youngest FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Winner at 20
Eight days shy of his 21st birthday, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, the 2015 Professional Bowlers Association Rookie of the Year, became the youngest player to win the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Sunday at FireLake Arena. Svensson, a 6-foot-3, 158-pound left-handed two-hander, defeated top qualifier Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., 226-177, to win his third career PBA Tour title, his first major and a $50,000 first prize. The previous youngest winner of the TOC was PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman who won the event in 1976 at the age of 21 years, 207 days. Another PBA Hall of Famer, Mike Aulby, is the youngest player ever to win a PBA major title, winning the 1979 PBA National Championship at the age of 19 years, 83 days. Svensson won the title convincingly, striking on five of his first six shots to build a 30-pin lead while Beasley, making his first television appearance, struggled to figure out the tricky lane condition on the left lane. “I was pretty comfortable from the start, but then I opened in the second frame (against Daugherty),” Svensson said. “I was a bit nervous. It would be weird if you weren’t when you’re bowling on TV. But I made the right adjustments and I was fine.” Setting the record as the youngest TOC champion was never on his mind. “That’s a bonus,” Svensson said. “I try not to think about how young I am. I just try to compete against the best in the world. Everything has gone pretty quick for me. I just came out here (on Tour in the United States) to get experience. I probably haven’t even realized what I’ve done so far. “Winning a major is one of the biggest achievements you can have in bowling, so I’m pretty much out of words.” Beasley said he knew he was in trouble early because the power players on the right side of the lane moved the oil to such an extent he couldn’t figure out where to throw the ball. “When you throw your best shot and miss the head pin, that’s not good,” the retired 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran said. “The guys in front of me really destroyed the left lane. You try to figure it out, but if I missed left, the ball went right and if I missed right, the ball hooked too much. And then you’re out of time.” Svensson advanced to the title match by defeating Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., 245-206, breaking open a tie match with a string of seven strikes after leaving and failing to convert a 4-6-7 split in the second frame. In the second match, Daugherty ended three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte’s bid for a third consecutive TOC title, 220-169. Belmonte contributed to his own defeat, missing a 10 pin in the first frame, a 2-8 spare attempt in the sixth and then failing to convert a 2-4-8-10 split in the ninth frame. In the opening match, Daugherty finished with seven consecutive strikes to overcome a pair of missed 3-10 spare conversions earlier in the game and rally from a 35-pin deficit to eliminate EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 231-221. PBA’s “Super February” schedule continues next week with the United States Bowling Congress Masters at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. Belmonte, the only player ever to win the USBC Masters three consecutive times, will be trying to extend his streak to four in a row. Qualifying begins Tuesday. The top 63 qualifiers plus Belmonte will compete in three-game double-elimination match play Friday and Saturday leading to the live ESPN stepladder finals on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters will be covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service. Live scoring also will be available throughout the event on pba.com. |
2016/02/05 |
Retired Air Force Veteran Mitch Beasley Wins No. 1 Berth for FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Finals
Retired U.S. Air Force veteran Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., will make a bid for his first Professional Bowlers Association major title Sunday as top qualifier in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions after dominating match play Friday at FireLake Bowling Center. Beasley, a 47-year-old right-hander, won all 13 of his final 14 matches Friday, and tied the other one, to advance from third place to first, finishing with a 48-game total of 11,559 pins. Beasley has never finished higher than fourth in a PBA Tour event, but he has won 20 PBA titles, including at least two titles in six of the PBA’s seven domestic regions where he was based during his 20-year military career. Beasley served as a crew chief on C130s and recruiter for the U.S. Air Force. “I retired on Jan. 1, 2008, and left the next day to bowl on Tour.” On Sunday, he will face the player who emerges from three preliminary matches in a one-game duel for the $50,000 first prize. Also qualifying for Sunday’s ESPN stepladder finals were 2015 PBA Rookie of the Year Jesper Svensson of Sweden, a left-handed two-hander who turns 21 on Feb. 15; two-time defending champion Jason Belmonte of Australia; 2013 PBA Rookie of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., and one-time PBA Tour winner Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., who is best known for the 100 game he bowled against eventual winner Mika Koivuneimi in the 2011 Tournament of Champions finals. Daugherty will bowl Tackett, a two-time runner-up in major championships, in the first match. The winner will try to end Belmonte’s bid for a record-tying third consecutive TOC title in match two. The match two winner bowls Svensson in the semifinal match for the right to meet Beasley in the title contest. For Beasley, Friday’s final round was the best performance of his career. “I made four changes to my game two weeks ago. I was really focused on the changes and make good shots and let the ball tell me what to do,” he said. “I felt the pressure, but I was just trying to make the shots I needed to make. “I missed my best years as an athlete while I was in the Air Force, so when you have the opportunity, you have to take advantage of it,” he added. “When I started bowling on Tour, I got hurt twice, once with a shattered wrist and then I missed a couple of years with hip and back injuries, so about half of my time, I’ve been hurt. It feels good to be healthy again.” Sunday will give him a chance to realize the goal he’s always dreamed of. “It’s every bowler’s dream to win a national title, and to have a chance to have your first title be a major, that’s the ultimate,” Beasley said. “That’s what I’ve worked for ever since the first time I picked up a bowling ball when I was 19 and in the service in Germany.” Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals will be contested on a special two-lane installation inside FireLake Arena at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. Eastern). First prize in PBA’s first major championship of the 2016 season will be $50,000.
Svensson Leads by 32 Pins Heading into Final Round of Match Play in FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson cooled off during round five of the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions, but he managed to hold onto first place heading into the final round of match play at FireLake Bowling Center Friday night. Svensson, who turns 21 on Feb. 15, won four of his eight matches Friday morning and finished the round with a 40-game total of 9,161 pins, including 270 bonus pins for his nine match wins, as his 266-pin lead shrunk to a 32-pin lead over Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., going into Friday night’s final eight games of match play. Svensson, PBA’s 2015 Rookie of the Year, won his first two PBA Tour titles last year, but is still looking for his first major title. Daugherty finished round five with an 11-5 match play record and 9,399 pins. Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., was third with 9,348 pins followed by EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 9,296 and two-time defending champion Jason Belmonte of Australia with a 9,284 total. Brad Angelo of Lockport, N.Y., was 54 pins behind Belmonte in the race for the five berths in Sunday’s finals. The 24 finalists will bowl their final eight-game match play round Friday at 5 p.m. CST to determine the five finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. Eastern). The finals will be held on a special two-lane installation inside FireLake Arena. All match play rounds are being covered exclusively, live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription information visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link. |
2016/02/04 |
289-300 Start Propels Sweden’s Jesper Svensson into FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Lead
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson struck on 22 of his first 23 shots Thursday morning in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center, advancing from sixth place to first, and he continued his blistering pace in match play Thursday night to build a 266-pin lead over Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn. Svensson, a 20-year-old left-handed two-hander and PBA’s 2015 Rookie of the Year, averaged 232.1 for his first 32 games to lead the field of 24 finalists into Friday’s final two rounds of match play in the PBA’s first major championship of the year. Following games of 289 and 300, Svensson finished his morning round with games of 220, 258, 235, 213, 223 and 203. He then started Thursday night’s first round of match play with games of 267, 229, 256 and 290, winning all four matches to break away from the field. He finished the evening round games of 213, 196 and 213 for losses, and a 238 win in his last game for a 5-3 match play record and a 32-game total of 7,624 pins, including 30 bonus pins for each match won. “That was good,” Svensson said of his start in the evening round, “but I struggled a bit in the middle, so it was good to finish with a good game. In the middle, the urethane ball I was using got a bit shiny, and I couldn’t get as good of pin carry as when it has a fresh surface. “But I’m happy; I didn’t expect this at all. I’m just going to have a good time and see where I finish tomorrow.” Chasing Svensson and Beasley (7,358 pins) in the race for Sunday’s five-player stepladder finals were Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., with 7,328 pins; Dom Barrett of England with a 7,317 total and EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., with 7,300 pins. Australia’s Jason Belmonte, the two-time defending champion, was fifth heading into match play, but posted a 4-4 record in the opening round and slipped back to ninth place. The 24 finalists will bowl their final two eight-game round-robin match play rounds Friday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST to determine the five finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. Eastern). The finals will be held on a special two-lane installation inside FireLake Arena. All match play rounds are being covered exclusively, live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription information visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
289-300 Start Propels Sweden’s Jesper Svensson into FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Lead
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson struck on 22 of his first 23 shots leading off the cashers round in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center Thursday morning to advance from sixth place to first, and he held on to take a four-pin lead over Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., into the opening round of match play Thursday night. Svensson, a 20-year-old left-handed two-hander and PBA’s 2015 Rookie of the Year, averaged 232.1 for his first 24 games in leading a field of 24 finalists into the match play portion of PBA’s first major championship of the year. Following games of 289 and 300 to begin the cashers round, he finished with games of 220, 258, 235, 213, 223 and 203 for a 24-game total of 5,572 pins. Right behind Svensson and Kent in the race for the five-player stepladder finals were Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C., at 5,480; EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 5,464 and Australia’s Jason Belmonte, the two-time defending champion, who advanced from 13th place to fifth heading into match play. The winner will be decided Sunday during a live ESPN telecast from FireLake Arena at 2 p.m. EST. The top 24 based on 24-game pinfall totals will bowl eight-game round-robin match play rounds Thursday at 5 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST to determine the five finalists for Sunday’s live ESPN stepladder finals at 1 p.m. CST (2 p.m. Eastern). |
2016/02/03 |
Tom Smallwood Rolls into FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Lead; Belmonte Remains in Contention
Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., who has made a career out of bowling well in major championships, averaged 231.4 for 16 games to move into the lead at the end of qualifying in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center Wednesday. Smallwood, 38, posted games of 258, 258, 203, 259, 260, 200, 206 and 231 Wednesday for a 16-game total of 3,703 pins, advancing from 10th place to first in a hotly contested battle for the top 27 berths in Thursday’s eight-game cashers round. Among those who remained in title contention was Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, who advanced from 48th place to qualify 13th for the cashers round. Belmonte is trying to equal PBA Hall of Famer Jason Couch’s record as the second player to win the Tournament of Champions three consecutive times. Trailing Smallwood at the end of qualifying was 2014 PBA Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., with 3,665 pins, 38 pins behind Smallwood, followed by PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., at 3,662; EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 3,661 and Dom Barrett of England at 3,633. Smallwood, who made national news when he won the 2010 PBA World Championship after losing his job at General Motors during the recession, has done his best work in PBA majors. He finished second in the 2011 Tournament of Champions, fourth in the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Masters and fifth in the 2012 PBA World Championship in addition to winning his second PBA title in the 2012 PBA Scorpion Championship. “I don’t put any more time or effort into the majors, but it’s only natural to put a little more emphasis on them because they pay more and they’re more prestigious,” Smallwood said. “For whatever reason my ball decides to strike more in the majors, which is fine with me.” Smallwood said he found a way to play the lanes that other players weren’t playing, and they actually helped move the oil around to his favor. “Usually I’m playing the wrong part of the lane, but I played a little farther right of everybody tonight and it worked,” he said. “The first six games, I only moved four boards with my eyes, and that was it. Everyone else was playing farther inside than I was, and they actually gave me more hold area which allowed me to stay where I was.” Among the players advancing to Thursday’s cashers round was reigning Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., who also is the first woman ever to advance to the PBA national telecast and the only woman ever to accomplish that feat twice. Johnson qualified in a tie for 20th place. “I never really put a PBA Tour title on my bucket list, but it would be nice to win one,” Johnson said. “The thing I realized this week is that I bowled my first women’s pro tournament 20 years ago this week, and to think I’m still out here doing what I’m doing is pretty amazing to me.” Johnson was one of four women in the TOC field. Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., who won the 2010 Tournament of Champions to become the only woman ever to win a PBA Tour title, was in contention Wednesday but faltered down the stretch, finishing 31st and missing the cut by 14 pins. At the conclusion of Thursday’s cashers round, the top 24 based on 24-game pinfall totals will advance to three eight-game rounds of head-to-head match play to determine the top five for Sunday’s live ESPN finals at 2 p.m. ET. PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service will cover the cashers round and all three match play rounds live. Rounds start at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Thursday and Friday.
男子の部・須田 毅、女子の部・堂元美佐が優勝！
1月23日（土）・24日（日）の2日間にわたって開催されました、承認大会・U49 PROBOWLING TOUR 2016宮崎サンシャインボウリングフェスティバルにて、男子の部を須田 毅が、女子の部を堂元美佐が制して優勝致しました。 南国・宮崎に男女プロアマ147名が集結。予選8G・準決勝3Gを投球し、男女各上位3名が決勝へ進出し、ステップラダーが行われました。 男子の部では今大会のベストアマに輝いた有馬昌二選手を須田が撃破し、トップシードの日置秀一と対決。ストライクが続かない日置を4連続ストライクで突き放して逃げ切りました。 続いて女子の部は宮崎出身の前屋瑠美と小林あゆみが3位決定戦で対決し、小林が前屋を下します。トップシードの堂元と小林による優勝決定戦は両者ともスプリット続出の大苦戦。しかし堂元が勝負どころの9フレーム目からダブルを決め、わずか9ピン差で小林に逆転し優勝を掴み取りました。 |
2016/02/02 |
Dom Barrett Overtakes EJ Tackett for First Round Lead in FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions
England’s Dom Barrett, a four-time Professional Bowlers Association titlist, overtook EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., by two pins in the final game to take the first round lead in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center Tuesday. Barrett, 30, rolled games of 217, 221, 290, 229, 226, 235, 223 and 228 for a 1,869 pinfall total to edge the 23-year-old Tackett, who posted his 1,867-pin total earlier in the day. The opening round of PBA’s signature tournament saw the lead change after almost every game with nine players finishing within 23 pins of the leader. “I watch a lot of soccer, golf and tennis, and the majors are the pinnacles of all sports,” Barrett said. “You don’t hear all that much about Tiger Woods’ 80-some titles; you hear about his majors. I’ve been working toward hitting my peak when tournaments like this come up. They’re the ones you really look forward to.” Barrett, who won the 2013 PBA World Championship for his only major title, has experienced a number of close calls more recently, including a 236-223 loss to Ryan Ciminelli in the title match of the 2015 Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open. But he refuses to dwell in the past. “Everything that’s happened in the past – I don’t think too much about it,” Barrett said. “I’m a kind of a look to the future kind of guy. I’m not thinking about being unlucky or whatever. I just want to be the best I can at the tournament I’m bowling at the moment.” Tackett said his focus is getting back to the TV finals in a PBA major championship for a third time, after leading in the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Masters and the 2015 Rolltech PBA World Championship and losing both title matches. “I was probably the most confident I had ever been going into a TV show for the World Championship, and in practice, I got tricked into throwing the wrong ball,” the 2013 PBA Rookie of the Year said. “I’m still learning. Bowling on TV is a lot different than bowling during the event. I think the next time I made a TV show, I’ll do better based on what I learned on that show. “I’ve finished second in two majors, but I look at it like Jack Nicklaus winning 18 majors and finishing second 19 times. That was a lot of opportunities. The thing is, you can’t win unless you get there, so if I keep putting myself in position, I’m gonna win. You just have to be patient and let it happen.” Right behind Barrett and Tackett were Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., with 1,864 pins; Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., in fourth with a 1,855 total and Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., in fifth place with 1,854 pins. Two-time defending TOC champion Jason Belmonte of Australia sat in 48th place after eight games with 1,682 pins. The field of 77 PBA tournament champions will bowl its second 8-game qualifying round Wednesday and the top 27 players after 16 games will then advance to Thursday’s 8-game cashers round. After 24 games, the top 24 will advance to three 8-game rounds of head-to-head match play to determine the top five for Sunday’s live ESPN finals at 2 p.m. ET. |
2016/02/01 |
【PBA】 News Schreiner, O’Neale and Couture Inducted Into PBA Hall of Fame During Ceremonies in Shawnee, Oklahoma
PBA50 Tour standout Pete Couture of Cocoa, Fla., former South Region Manager Harry O’Neale of Ravenel, S.C., and former PBA Tour announcer Denny Schreiner of Akron, Ohio, were inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame Monday during ceremonies at the Grand Casino, Hotel Resort in Shawnee, Okla. Couture was elected in the PBA50 Performance category based on his exceptional record for a minimum of 10 years as a “senior” competitor. On the heels of a 24-year career as a PBA Tour competitor, when he won five standard PBA titles, Couture began his PBA50 career in 1995 when he earned PBA50 Rookie of the Year honors. He won the first of nine PBA50 Tour titles in Reno in 1996, and captured a pair of USBC Senior Masters titles in 1998 (when he was selected as PBA50 Player of the Year) and 2002. “If it wasn’t for the senior (PBA50) tour I wouldn’t be here,” said Couture. “The senior tour was a second chance and an opportunity to re-invent myself. “Bowling on the senior tour was like being with family,” he added. “Some of my greatest memories came from bowling on the Senior Tour. I think everyone who bowls for a living dreams of getting in the hall of fame because there’s no higher honor.” O’Neale built the PBA South Region tournament program into the organization’s most successful proving ground for aspiring young players over a span of 31 years before his retirement in 2011. A one-time PBA Tour competitor, O’Neale assumed a regional program with fewer than 200 members and built it into a membership of more than 900 members, frequently traveling thousands of miles while conducting more than 40 weekend tournaments a year. “In all the years I was with PBA I had so many great people around me to make it work and I couldn’t have done it without them,” O’Neale said. “It’s been a long way but a lot of fun. Over the years I gave a way a lot of awards but didn’t get that many myself so this is a great honor for me. “I’m very proud of the growth we had in the (PBA’s) south region,” O’Neale added. “I wanted the bowlers in our part of the country to be proud of our region and I knew if they were they would keep coming back and bowl in our tournaments.” Schreiner, who served as the ESPN television voice of the PBA between 1986 and 1995, also was a skilled bowler who joined the PBA media staff as the PBA Tour Broadcast Director shortly after his graduation from the University of Akron. As PBA’s play-by-play announcer on ESPN, he quickly became popular for his ability to apply his knowledge as a bowler to the telecasts, working in harmony with fellow PBA Hall of Famer Mike Durbin as his color analyst. “I grabbed the brass ring when I got the PBA (announcing) job and never let go,” Schreiner said. “To be involved with all the great people who built and worked with PBA over the years, you can’t explain in your wildest dreams what it means to be standing up here.” Also, as part of the evening’s festivities, Jason Belmonte, Jesper Svensson, Josh Blanchard and Ed Godbout were officially presented with their GEICO Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Harry Golden Rookie of the Year, Steve Nagy Sportsmanship and Tony Reyes Community Service Awards, respectively. |
